At least 450 Turkish diplomats, military personnel, judges and other civil servants have been seeking asylum in Germany in a bid to escape a post-coup crackdown back home, German news magazine Der Spiegel said on Saturday.
“Currently the Federal office for migration and refugees (BAMF) considers relevant about 450 applications from Turkish diplomats, military personnel, judges and other civil servants,” Der Spiegel reported, saying that most of them are linked to the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt.
More than 7,700 Turkish citizens have applied for asylum in Germany in total, according to the report.
Der Spiegel said some of those who sought asylum in the country included NATO military officers stationed in Belgium and a military attache at the Turkish Embassy in an African country.
“There are clear indications for a systematic persecution of alleged adherents of the Gülen movement in Turkey,” the report said.